ISSN 2451-2966

PUBLISHED BYtype2

Łukasz Maźnica, Marek Orasmus, Barbara Worek, Jan Strycharz

Łaźnia Nowa Theatre: Social Change in the Making

Abstract


The article attempts to illustrate the actions taken by Łaźnia Nowa Theatre in Kraków to incorporate amateurs in theatre activities. The authors take the example of two projects – ‘Participations’ and ‘University of Looking’ – searching for the links between cultural activity and development in a social and economic respect.

The authors explore the question of how, through its impact on the participants (senior citizens, troubled youth), theatre affects the social fabric, and in so doing realises its statutory mission, which includes working to revitalise Nowa Huta. The article was based on analysis of the project documentation as well as discussions (individual in-depth interviews and focus group interviews) with the participants of the two ventures described – amateurs, actors and organisers from Łaźnia Nowa. Confronting the opinions of all interested parties made it possible to draw conclusions on the strengths and weaknesses of the two projects.

The article and research were part of the ‘Culture and Development’ project conducted in 2014 and 2015 by the Stanisław Brzozowski Association within the Institute for Advanced Study.


Keywords


community; culture and development; innovation; participation; social capital

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Łukasz Maźnica

economist, student of the doctoral programme at the Faculty of Economics and International Relations of the Cracow University of Economics, where he develops his research interests related to cultural economics and public management in the field of culture. He is also a board member of the Social Innovations Workshop Foundation, in which he is responsible for developing the portal ekultura.org, a medium promoting knowledge about the digitalisation of cultural heritage. As a researcher and expert, he cooperates with the Malopolska Institute of Culture, the Cracow Technology Park and the Center for Evaluation and Analysis of Public Policies of the Jagiellonian University.

 

Marek Orasmus

graduate of the Economics and Public Administration programme at the Cracow University of Economics. Since his graduation, he has been affiliated with the Małopolska School of Public Administration of the Cracow University of Economics, where he participates in preparation and development of research and implementation projects related to the issues of public management, situation of Polish companies and cooperation between local administration and NGOs. He is currently working on a doctoral thesis on the use of analysing big data in the decision-making processes in Polish cities.

 

Barbara Worek

assistant professor in the Department of Sociology of Economy, Education, and Social Research Methods at the Institute of Sociology of the Jagiellonian University. She has developed her research experience through participation in Polish and international research projects related to social exclusion, labour market and lifelong learning. She authored and co-authored publications concerning labour market and many research reports. Her research interests focus on issues related to human capital and lifelong learning, analysis of public policies and methodology of qualitative research.

 

Jan Strycharz

economist, graduate of the Cracow University of Economics and the Master of Public Policy programme of Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. For three years, he has been running the Social Innovations Workshop Foundation, an NGO which supports the development of creative, intellectual and social capital in Poland. He organises training programmes, workshops and conferences related to the issues of innovation and social innovation. He is also a researcher and analyst of public policies, focusing on cultural and educational polices, as well as policies promoting entrepreneurship, innovations and innovativeness.